Natchitoches was host to the 6th annual Louisiana Travel Leadership Academy (LTLA) class on Thursday, June 18 and Friday, June 19. The class has visited Natchitoches for their product development session for six years.

The class, comprised of travel and tourism professionals from around the state, toured Cane River Brewing Company, Parc Natchitoches, and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum. They tasted local fare from several restaurants and spent their free time strolling the historic district on Thursday evening. They were welcomed by Arlene Gould, Executive Director of the Natchitoches Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Natchitoches Mayor Lee Posey.

On Friday morning, the class received information about the tourism products and partnerships in Natchitoches from a panel consisting of Rebecca Blankenbaker, Executive Director of the Cane River National Heritage Area; Jill Leo, Director of the Historic District Business Association and Main Street; and Kelli West, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Natchitoches Convention & Visitors Bureau.

LTLA provides a unique continuing education and leadership training program for Louisiana’s travel and tourism industry. LTLA offers students the opportunity to meet and learn from seasoned professionals, as well as up-and-coming professionals. The annual program includes visits to destinations around the state with sessions focused on leadership, advocacy, marketing, and product development. As the students network and learn about the industry, they also complete a group project.